Tuesday Edition: Kitchen Tip

"Spaghetti Squash" uploaded to flickr by semarr

I really wanted to share about 20 tips with you that I found in my latest edition of Cooks Illustrated.  But then I realized that my last few Tuesday Tips were from Cooks Illustrated and that I needed to show you that I do read other things and occasionally have my own tips!

Today's tip doesn't come from me or any magazine.  It is courtesy of my mother in law who just learned that she loved spaghetti squash. 

I've always cut my spaghetti squash in half and then baked in until it was tender (about 40 or so minutes at 350 F).  But then my mother in law told me that you can get the same result if you cut it in half and microwave each half for about 8 minutes.  That is a real time saver!   And then I did some research and found out that you can microwave the whole thing (without cutting it) for 10-12 minutes and then let it sit for another 5 minutes, cut it in half and you are good to go!

How do you cook squash?  Conventional oven?  Microwave?  I even read about cooking it in a slow cooker . . .

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies

The husband and I are still trying to follow the Paleo diet.  It was hard when we had no lights, no fridge and no stove and the only thing open in the area were fast food restaurants.  But we got thru that week and we are slowly getting back into the Paleo rhythm.  The husband was doing so well on it - losing weight, feeling good!  I have to admit, I felt pretty good too!

So in my quest to find new paleo-friendly recipes, I came across this one on Allrecipes.com.  The original recipe (which is posted below) is not Paleo friendly since it has cheese and salt.  So if that is a concern for you, feel free to omit those things!

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies
Recipe from www.allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
1lb ground beef
1/2 C diced green pepper
1/2 C diced red pepper
1/4 C diced red onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t dried basil
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 1/4 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place squash on a baking sheet, and bake 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, cool, and shred pulp with a fork.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F . Lightly grease a casserole dish.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in the green pepper, red pepper, red onion, and garlic. Continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
5. Mix the shredded squash and tomatoes into the skillet, and season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until heated through. Remove skillet from heat, and mix in 2 cups cheese until melted. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
6. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and continue baking 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!